Where were the submarine pens in France?

Most operating pens were on the French coast at Bordeaux, Brest, La Pallice, Lorient, and Saint-Nazaire. Together they consumed 5.7 million cubic yards of concrete.

Are there any U-boat pens left?

The city remained under German control until 1945, one of the last French cities to be liberated by the Allies, after which the U-boat pens sat empty. Today, they are intermittently used by the French navy, and as such are not open to the public.

Where were the German U-boats stationed in France?

The German occupying forces built many U-boat pens in the Atlantic ports of France in Bordeaux, Brest, La Rochelle/La Pallice, Lorient, and St. Nazaire. Almost 4.4 million cubic metres of concrete were used.

Are there any surviving German U boats?

The German Unterseeboot, or U-boat, was a submarine that appeared seemingly out of nowhere to destroy both military and commercial ships. Despite their prevalence during WWI and WWII, only four U-boats exist today.

What is the U-boat pen in La Rochelle?

The La Rochelle U-boat pens. The locks in the La Rochelle U-boat pen. The mammoth concrete structure on La Rochelle’s harbor. In April of 1941, laborers began building the concrete behemoths in La Rochelle’s harbor. The massive pens were to hold the “Unterseeboots,” one of Germany’s most formidable weapons during World War II.

What happened to the U-boat pens at Brest?

Concrete U-boat pens at Brest showing damage sustained after bombing attacks by the Royal Air Force. For that matter, only a few of these pens became fully operational, the most famous of them being the Keroman Submarine Base in Lorient. The U-Boat pens at La Rochelle.Photo: Pep.per de Ré CC BY-SA 2.5

Where were the German U-boat pens built in France?

The German occupying forces built many U-boat pens in the Atlantic ports of France in Bordeaux, Brest, La Rochelle / La Pallice, Lorient, and St. Nazaire. Almost 4.4 million cubic metres of concrete were used. An unnamed bunker and bunkered lock were constructed in Bordeaux, the fourth largest French city at the start of the war.

Why are there submarines in La Rochelle?

The submarine pens in La Rochelle. Pep.per de Ré/CC BY-SA 2.5 In April of 1941, laborers began building the concrete behemoths in La Rochelle’s harbor. The massive pens were to hold the “Unterseeboots,” one of Germany ’s most formidable weapons during World War II.